Foodies, this is for you! Did you know The Eight International Buffet is already open at SM North The Block?
One of my favorite experiences when traveling or exploring my own city is trying the different kinds of restaurants and foods. Eating is a unique experience of its own—whether you are savoring a local cuisine’s delectable dishes or attempting something more diverse, such as a buffet with a roundup of various dishes.
I’ve tried different buffets in the Philippines—from Vikings to Yakimix to Okada’s Medley, and more. While some of them serve the same dishes, each hotel or restaurant buffet often has something unique to offer, like a cuisine that you usually can’t find in others, or a dish they’ve mastered. Sometimes, it’s in the softness of their steaks or the freshness of their sashimi.
What are buffets in the Philippines like?
The Philippines has no shortage of buffets. And it’s no surprise because our culture is largely centered around food. It isn’t a gathering if we aren’t eating.
In the Philippines, you’ll find many different kinds of buffets, from breakfast all-you-can-eats at hotels to restaurants that serve either lunch or dinner buffets (or sometimes both!). Some of our barbecue restaurants, our version of the Korean 고깃집 (gogi-jib), the ones that serve samgyeopsal and other meats for grilling, serve all-you-can-eat options, too. So do dimsum and hotpot restaurants and even some merienda (afternoon snacks) places.
Some popular buffets in the Philippines
Hotels with buffets in Metro Manila
- Conrad Manila’s Brasserie
- Diamond Hotel’s Corniche
- Dusit Thani’s The Pantry
- EDSA Shangri-La’s HEAT
- Fairmont Makati’s Spectrum
- Hotel Okura’s Yawaragi
- Luxent’s Garden Cafe
- Makati Shangri-La’s Circles Event Café
- Manila Hotel’s Café Ilang-Ilang
- The Manila Peninsula’s Escolta
- Marriott Manila’s Marriott Café
- Novotel’s Food Exchange Manila
- Okada Manila’s Medley
- Seda’s Misto
- Solaire’s Fresh
- The Westin Manila’s Seasonal Tastes
Restaurant buffets around Metro Manila
- Buffet 101
- Guevarra’s
- Niu
- Tong Yang’s
- Vikings
- Yakimix
What is The Eight International Buffet?
The Eight International Buffet is a recently opened buffet in SM North EDSA. They serve several different dishes across diverse cuisines, including Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and more.
What we loved about The Eight International Buffet
We had a chance to eat at The Eight International Buffet the same weekend it opened. Here’s everything we loved about it:
Great food selection
You’ll find some of the usual local dishes (like bulalo, and other Filipino staples) and some more international ones. Miso soup, sashimi, and different kinds of sushi for Japanese cuisine. Dimsum and chao fan (stir-fried rice) for Chinese cuisine.
They have steaks that you can help yourself to at the carving station. These are ready to eat, and you can partner it with different kinds of jams or sauces. But The Eight International Buffet also allows you to order a kind of steak the way you like it. You can choose the part you want, how you want it cooked (plain? with garlic and pepper?), its doneness (rare? medium rare? well done?), and they will deliver it to your table.
Another aspect we really loved was their pasta. Most buffets will have it out in trays or platters. You help yourself, and they will refill if the dish empties. For The Eight International Buffet, you have to order your pastas over the counter. They have a list of pastas they can make and serve, like pesto and carbonara. We tried the carbonara and were pleasantly surprised to see them cook it in the style of pasta alla ruota (cheese wheel pasta). They poured the hot pasta into a wheel of cheese, scraped the cheese around it (which gets softened due to the heat), mix it, then serve it on a plate.
Amazing dessert spread
Some buffets have different variations of the same kind of dessert in different colors, and that’s it. Not so with The Eight International Buffet. They have pastries, cakes, and bars, which are the usual buffet dessert staples. But also have ice cream, halo-halo, and even bobo (milk tea lovers, this is for you!). You can even ask them to make a crepe for you (they’ll ask you what you’d like to put into it) or take some marshmallows, crackers, and sour gummies and dip it in their chocolate fountain.
Wide variety of drinks—including alcoholic beverages
Most buffets offer drinks like sodas, cold fruit teas, and coffee. The Eight International Buffet has all those—and a bit more. They have a tap where you can help yourself to an ice-cold glass of beer and a roving wine cart that will pour you red and white.
Aside from regular tea bags (for those who are looking to digest some of what they ate), they have an automatic coffee machine. You just have to choose your drink (americano, cafe latte, cappuccino, etc.), press the button, and it will make the drink for you. They even have dried fruit that you can mix and match. If you’re familiar with TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), you’ll know these dried fruit right away: hawthorn berries, goji berries, and jujubes.
Ornate, yet cozy interiors
What makes a dining experience one-of-a-kind isn’t just the food that they serve, but how the place looks, too. You want to be at a place where the ambiance entices you to eat more, to enjoy what’s on your plate.
The Eight International Buffet has luxurious interiors (a mix of black and deep greens), beautiful lights, and relaxing chairs. Even the temperature is just right—neither too hot nor too cold. Compared to other buffets where it might feel a little tight, The Eight International Buffet is spacious, allowing you to walk around even if there are many other diners aside from you.
Buffet dining tips
- Sometimes, it’s better to dine on a weekday. It’s cheaper and there are less people. However, depending on the restaurant, their weekend buffets sometimes serve more dishes.
- If you’re dining with a big group (and on a weekend), some buffets allow you to reserve ahead of time. If not, be sure to arrive early as the lines can get really long.
- Some buffets have special promos for birthday celebrants. It’s best to check their website or social media page for more details. You may even have to make an advanced reservation.
- Take a look at the dishes before diving in and eating. Sometimes, it’s best to start with some soup to warm your tummy before eating anything else. Others like to start with fruits and salad, but I can’t because they make me bloat.
- Only get a bit of food at a time so you can taste as many dishes as possible. Anyway, if you really like something, you can always go back and get some more.
- Try new dishes. A buffet is a great place to step outside of your comfort zone in terms of food because you won’t waste money by ordering something you aren’t sure about only to find that you don’t like it after all. (When I go to buffets, I also try not to eat the food that I can cook at home, unless it’s something I really, really like.)
- Carbs (like rice, pasta, and noodles) can make you full immediately. So do sugary drinks. Skip those if you can or eat/drink them sparingly.
- Save room for desserts! Especially for hotels and restaurants like Okada’s Medley and The Eight International Buffet with amazing dessert options.
FAQs for The Eight International Buffet
Please note that I’m basing this on my own experience and information online or from the restaurant itself. I will do my best to keep this as updated as possible.
Where is The Eight International Buffet located?
It’s on the 5th floor of SM North EDSA, The Block, on the same floor as BBQ Chicken, Fully Booked, Moon Hey Hotpot and Grill, etc.
What time is The Eight International Buffet open?
The Eight International Buffet Time slots:
Weekdays:
Lunch: 11:30-14:00
Dinner: 17:30-22:00
Weekends:
Lunch: 10:00-14:00
Dinner: 17:00-22:00
How much does The Eight International Buffet cost?
Adult Rates:
Monday to Friday:
Lunch: ₱1,188.00
Dinner: ₱1,388.00
Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays:
Lunch and Dinner: ₱1,488.00
Kids’ Rates (4 feet and below):
Monday to Friday: ₱538.00
Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays: ₱588.00
All prices are VAT inclusive.
Can I make a reservation at The Eight International Buffet?
Yes, we made a reservation when we ate there. You can contact them via their Facebook page to be sure. You can also try contacting them via mobile: +639453189070.
Does The Eight International Buffet offer senior citizen discounts?
Yes, they do. When we dined there, they honored my mom’s senior citizen ID, so she was able to get a discount.
Does The Eight International Buffet serve alcoholic drinks?
They do. They have wine and beer. You can get the beer yourself from the beer tap. For the wine, there’s a roving wine cart that will offer you red or white wines. Or both, if you’d like.
Does The Eight International Buffet serve steak?
Yes, they have different kinds of steaks—beef, lamb, and porkchops. Some of them are ready for eating, but you can also request a steak cooked just the way you like it, and they will serve it to you.
Would we go back to The Eight International Buffet?
Definitely! It’s our favorite buffet here in the north. We like the food, the ambiance, and even the service staff who were very kind and assisted us by answering questions and making sure we had what we needed. And when you compare the quality of food they serve to the cost, you’ll see that it’s worth it.
